SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002

• Abstract:

  This Part 4-6 of EN 50289 details the method of test to determine the temperature cycling used in analogue and digital communication systems.; It is to be read in conjunction with Part 4-1 of EN 50289, which contains essential provisions for its application.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 31-Aug-2002
• ICS: 33.120.10 - Coaxial cables. Waveguides
• Technical Committee: iTEL - Communication cables
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 01-Sep-2002
• Due Date: 01-Sep-2002
• Completion Date: 01-Sep-2002
• Mandate: M/212 - ICT - metallic and optical cables and cabling systems
• Ref Project: EN 50289-4-6:2001 - Communication cables - Specifications for test methods - Part 4-6: Environmental test methods - Temperature cycling

• Referred By: SIST EN 50117-1:2019 - Coaxial cables - Part 1: Generic specification
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Referred By: SIST EN 50290-4-1:2015 - Communication cables - Part 4-1: General considerations for the use of cables - Environmental conditions and safety aspects
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026

SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002 is the Slovenian adoption of EN 50289-4-6:2001 from CENELEC. It specifies a temperature cycling test method for communication cables used in analogue and digital communication systems, so laboratories, manufacturers, and buyers can check how transmission performance changes after repeated temperature changes.

What does SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002 specify?

SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002 defines one environmental test method within the EN 50289 series for communication cables. The standard is meant to be read together with EN 50289-4-1, which provides the general provisions needed to apply the method.

The document is organized into five clauses:

• Scope
• Normative references
• Definitions
• Test methods
• Test report

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the one-cycle procedure and the combined test procedure. That structure matters in practice because the standard gives both the test sequence and the information that must be recorded to compare results between laboratories.

What are the key requirements of SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002?

SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002 focuses on how to set up the sample, run the temperature cycle, and record the result. The most important points are in Clause 4, and the detail specification controls the exact test settings and acceptance limits.

Test equipment and sample preparation

Clause 4.1 requires appropriate transmission measuring apparatus and a climatic chamber. The chamber must be large enough for the sample and keep its temperature within ± 3 K of the specified test temperature. In practice, this is what makes the test repeatable and allows changes in transmission performance to be measured reliably.

Clause 4.2 requires a sample length sufficient for the desired accuracy. The cable should be arranged so that expansion and contraction are not restricted, usually as a loose coil or on a reel. For optical cables, several fibres may be connected to reduce the test length, but the connections should be outside the chamber and enough fibres must still be tested as defined in the Detail Specification.

Test sequence

Clause 4.3.1 requires a visual inspection and a basic measurement of the transmission parameters at the initial temperature. Pre-conditioning conditions are to be agreed between customer and supplier. This gives a baseline for judging any change caused by the temperature cycle.

Clause 4.3.2 describes the cycling sequence:

• introduce the sample at ambient temperature into a chamber at the same temperature
• cool to the low temperature TA at the specified rate
• hold for the period t1
• heat to the high temperature TB at the specified rate
• hold for the period t1
• return to ambient temperature

One cycle is this full sequence, and the sample is normally subjected to two cycles unless the relevant detail specification says otherwise. A combined test procedure may be used when different temperature ranges apply for storage and for use.

Recovery, acceptance, and specified details

Clause 4.3.3 covers recovery after the chamber test. If ambient temperature is not the standard atmospheric condition used for testing, the sample is allowed to stabilize at that condition, and the Detail Specification may require a specific recovery period.

Clause 4.4 states that acceptance criteria come from the Detail Specification. Clause 4.5 says the Detail Specification must state the permissible change in transmission parameters, the parameters to be measured, TA, TB, t1, the cooling or heating rate, the number of cycles, any humidity levels at the temperature extremes, and the recovery period. This is the information a buyer or test house needs to make sure the same test is being run and the same pass/fail decision is being applied.

Clause 5 requires the test report to record the sample length, winding type and diameter, tension conditions, measurement equipment, temperature cycle diagram, change in transmission parameters as a function of cycling, and the pass/fail criteria.

What terms does SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002 define?

• Climatic chamber - The controlled enclosure used to expose the cable sample to the specified temperature conditions.
• Transmission parameters - The measured performance quantities used to judge how the cable behaves before and after cycling.
• Detail Specification - The document that sets the exact test values, limits, and reporting details for a given cable type.
• Pre-conditioning - The agreed preparation of the sample before the main test begins.
• Recovery period - The time allowed for the sample to stabilize after removal from the chamber or at the test condition.
• Zero tension facility device - A device used to avoid applying tension to the cable during winding and conditioning.
• Ambient temperature - The temperature used for starting and ending the cycle before the sample is checked again.

Who uses SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002?

SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002 is used by cable manufacturers, test laboratories, and quality teams working with communication cables. It is also relevant to buyers and specifiers who need to define or verify environmental qualification tests for analogue and digital communication systems.

In practice, these users apply the standard when setting up qualification tests, comparing cable designs, writing detail specifications, or recording pass/fail results for procurement and quality control.

What changed in SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002 from the previous edition?

SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002 is identical to EN 50289-4-6:2001.

Which standards are used with SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002?

• EN 50289-4-1:2001 - Gives the general requirements that apply to this test method.
• EN 50290-1-2 - Provides the definitions used in the standard.
• EN 60068-2-14 (IEC 60068-2-14) - Provides the environmental testing framework and an example of a suitable chamber in test Nb.

What does the SIST EN 50289-4-6:2002 document contain?

The document gives a step-by-step method for temperature cycling of communication cables, including sample handling, chamber conditions, the low-temperature and high-temperature stages, and the recovery step. It also explains what the detail specification has to define so the test is unambiguous for a given cable type.

Figures 1 and 2 show the one-cycle and combined test procedures. Clause 5 turns the method into a reporting checklist, so the results can be documented consistently across laboratories and product types.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2002
Communication cables - Specifications for test methods - Part 4-6: Environmental
test methods - Temperature cycling
Communication cables - Specifications for test methods -- Part 4-6: Environmental test
methods - Temperature cycling
Kommunikationskabel - Spezifikationen für Prüfverfahren -- Teil 4-6:
Umweltprüfverfahren - Temperaturwechselprüfung
Câbles de communication - Spécifications des méthodes d'essai -- Partie 4-6: Méthodes
d'essais d'environnement - Cycles thermiques
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 50289-4-6:2001
ICS:
33.120.10 Koaksialni kabli. Valovodi Coaxial cables. Waveguides
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 50289-4-6
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM October 2001
ICS 33.120.10
English version
Communication cables –
Specifications for test methods
Part 4-6: Environmental test methods –
Temperature cycling
Câbles de communication – Kommunikationskabel –
Spécifications des méthodes d'essai Spezifikationen für Prüfverfahren
Partie 4-6: Méthodes d'essais Teil 4-6: Umweltprüfverfahren -
d'environnement – Temperaturwechselprüfung
Cycles thermiques
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2001-05-01. CENELEC members are bound to
comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on
application to the Central Secretariat or to any CENELEC member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any
other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own
language and notified to the Central Secretariat has the same status as the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
CENELEC
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
Central Secretariat: rue de Stassart 35, B - 1050 Brussels
© 2001 CENELEC - All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC members.
Ref. No. EN 50289-4-6:2001 E
Foreword
This European Standard was prepared by the Technical Committee CENELEC TC 46X, Communication
cables.
The text of the draft was submitted to the formal vote and was approved by CENELEC as EN 50289-4-6 on
2001-05-01.
The following dates were fixed:
– latest date by which the EN has to be implemented
at national level by publication of an identical
national standard or by endorsement (dop) 2002-04-01
– latest date by which the national standards conflicting
with the EN have to be withdrawn (dow) 2004-04-01
This European Standard has been prepared under the European Mandate M/212 given to CENELEC by the
European Commission and the European Free Trade Association.

- 3 - EN 50289-4-6:2001
Contents
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references. 4
3 Definitions. 4
4 Test methods. 4
4.1 Equipment. 4
4.2 Test sample . 4
4.3 Procedure . 5
4.3.1 Initial measurement. 5
4.3.2 Cycling. 5
4.3.3 Recovery. 6
4.4 Requirements . 6
4.5 Details to be specified. 6
5 Test report. 7

1 Scope
This Part 4-6 of EN 50289 details the method of test to determine the temperature cycling used in
analogue and digital communication systems.
It is to be read in conjunction with Part 4-1 of EN 50289, which contains essential provisions for
its application.
2 Normative references
This European Standard incorporates by dated or undated reference, provisions from other publications.
These normative references are cited at the appropriate places in the text and the publications are listed
hereafter. For dated references, subsequent amendments to or revisions of any of these publications apply
to this European Standard only when inc
...